Time Bomb
by seVensIns
Summary: Dawn finds a spell that gives her the ability to go back in time and change anything she wants. But can she make things better, or will everything only get worse? Slight Spuffy at some points, lots of character deaths.
1. If You Could Change It All

__

* * *

**Disclaimer** - I don't own the characters, and the quotes aren't mine either. So basically, I own jack-diddly.  
  
**Time Bomb** by **Seven Sins**  
  
Chapter 1 - If You Could Change It All  
  
Posted: 7.31.04

* * *

_ "The flapping of a single butterfly's wing today produces a tiny change in the state of the atmosphere. Over a period of time, what the atmosphere actually does diverges from what it would have done. So, in a month's time, a tornado that would have devastated the Indonesian coast doesn't happen. Or maybe one that wasn't going to happen, does." -- Ian Stewart 'Does God Play Dice? The Mathematics of Chaos'  
  
"The Chaos model, which comes out of a hodge-podge of late-twentieth-century physics and philosophy, says that the smallest change in the past, like stepping out of your time machine and stepping on a beetle, produces a total and devastating revision of the future." -- 'The X President' by Philip Baruth  
  
**"You can't change who people are without destroying who they were." -- 'The Butterfly Effect'**_

* * *

Rome -- The 26th of April, 2004  
  
"Dawn!" Buffy's voice floated down the hall, "Dawn! Get up, you're going to be late!"  
  
Dawn pulled the covers up over her head and muttered, "So?"  
  
Suddenly, the door flew open, "Dawn! _Get up_," Buffy said, walking over to the side of her bed and shaking her, "Come on, you need to get ready for school."  
  
"No," Dawn said, "No school today," she groaned, pulling the pillow over her head.  
  
"Get up, now," Buffy said, "Or you're not playing magics with Willow this afternoon."  
  
Dawn shot up in bed, "_Fine_," she said, glaring at Buffy, "God, you're so pushy."  
  
Buffy rolled her eyes and walked out the room, "Be ready in fifteen minutes, or no magic."  
  
Dawn gasped, "Fifteen minutes?!"  
  
"Should have gotten up when your alarm went off," Buffy called down the hall.  
  
-----  
  
Dawn sat in a hot, compact classroom, tapping her pencil against the desk and staring at the clock.  
  
"Come on, come on..." she said quietly.  
  
The teacher's voice droned on, but she wasn't listening to a word he said.  
  
Finally, just when Dawn was about to scream at the clock for going so slow, the bell rang.  
  
"Thank God," Dawn sighed, standing up and rushing out of the classroom.  
  
She ran down the hall and burst through the main doors, her head flying in all directions in search of Xander's car.  
  
She spotted him, his car parked on the curb outside the school, and he was leaning on it with his arms crossed over his chest, scanning to crowd of high school students for Dawn.  
  
She smiled and raced down the steps, running in his direction.  
  
Xander spotted her rushing towards him and opened his arms, just as she jumped into them.  
  
"Hey, Dawnie!" he said, "How are you?"  
  
Dawn let go of him and slid down to the ground, "Not too bad, you?"  
  
Xander shrugged, "All right, I guess."  
  
"Did Willow come with you?" she asked eagerly.  
  
Xander smiled, "Yes, she came with me this time," he said.  
  
Dawn's smile grew wider, "Awesome! Now I can practice magic and Buffy won't have a fit and say I'm going to blow the house up!" she pushed past Xander to open the passenger side door, "Come on, let's go!" she said.  
  
Xander walked around the car and slid into the driver's seat, "Okay, okay. Calm down. It's not like Willow's going anywhere."  
  
-----  
  
Dawn threw open the door to the apartment that her and Buffy shared. Andrew would be arriving in a few days to stay until he could find his own place again.   
  
"Dawnie! Hey!" Willow said, looking up at her from the couch.  
  
"Willow!" she ran forward and gave her a hug.  
  
"So how's the magic going?" Willow asked when she pulled back.  
  
Dawn shrugged, "You mean when Buffy actually let's me do something?" she glared over at her sister.  
  
"I let you do stuff," Buffy retorted, "Just nothing big that I don't think you can handle."  
  
"Which is everything," Dawn said, turning back to Willow, "She wouldn't even let me levitate a pencil."  
  
Willow smiled, "Well, levitation can be..."she looked over at Buffy who was staring at her expectantly, "extremely dangerous!" she said.  
  
Buffy smiled, "See?"  
  
Dawn rolled her eyes, "Really? How?" she asked.  
  
Willow opened her mouth to speak, "Um...well. You never know what the pencil could do, you know?" she tried.  
  
"Yeah," Xander piped up from behind them, "It could fly around and poke my other eye out," he said, trying to joke.  
  
Everyone just stared at him.  
  
"Sorry, not funny. I'll stop speaking now," he said, shoving a handful of chips in his mouth.  
  
Dawn looked back at Willow, "But now that you're here, Buffy said I could do whatever as long as you 'supervised me'."  
  
Willow smiled, "And I'm expecting you want to get started right now?" she said.  
  
"Uh huh!" Dawn said, letting her back pack fall to the ground with a loud 'clunk', "Let's go!" she raced off into the kitchen.  
  
Willow smiled and shook her head, standing up to follow her.  
  
"Willow," Buffy said. Willow turned around and looked at her.  
  
"Don't worry, I won't let her do anything big. I'll just teach her flashy stuff. Kids always love flashy stuff," she assured her.  
  
Buffy smiled, "Okay."  
  
------  
  
"Oh, Willow, what's this spell do?" she asked.  
  
She didn't even wait for an answer before she started reciting it.  
  
"Dawnie, no!" Willow said, reaching across the table and slamming the book shut.  
  
"What?" Dawn asked, looking disappointed.  
  
Willow pushed the book away, "Don't do any of the ones in that book," she said, "those are big no-nos"  
  
Dawn frowned, "Well what can I do?" she whined.  
  
Willow set another book in front of her, "Here, try that one," she said, pointing to a spell on one of the pages.  
  
Dawn smiled and them said, "Bara bara himble gemination."  
  
A bunny appeared on the table with a loud 'pop' and Dawn's smiled widened.  
  
"Cool!" she said happily.  
  
Buffy walked into the kitchen, "So how's the magic coming?" she asked, looking the table.   
  
"Great!" Dawn said, "Look, I made a bunny!" she pointed to the ruffled-looking ball of fur on the table.  
  
"Fabulous," Buffy said, looking over at Willow.  
  
"It's harmless," she assured, "Just a nice, safe, bunny."  
  
"Okay," Buffy said, still a bit unsure, "Just don't let her make any nice, safe, bigger animals."  
  
"Can do," Willow said, turning back around.  
  
Dawn was staring down at the book in front of her, "What's this spell do?" she asked, pointing to the page.  
  
Willow looked over her shoulder, "Which one?"  
  
"This one," Dawn said, pointing to it again, "It's something about time, and changing it," she said.  
  
Willow stared down at the pages and then gasped and slammed the book shut, "Listen Dawnie," she said, "Before you start messing with magic, you need to understand," she started hesitantly, "Sometimes, using magic to try and help people and fix things can only make them worse."  
  
Dawn was caught a bit off guard, "I know that, Will. I was just reading it."  
  
"I know," Willow said, "But this spell...don't _ever_ think of doing it."  
  
"Why?" Dawn asked, still confused, "What's it do?"  
  
"Because," Willow started, "It takes you back in time. And it allows you to change things. Make them different," she said.  
  
Dawn blinked, "What?"  
  
Willow sighed, "It's only been done once before, in the 16th century, I think. Someone tried to go back, and change things that had happened in the past."  
  
"And?"  
  
"And it almost destroyed the world," Willow finished.  
  
"Oh," Dawn said, looking down at the table, "Why?"  
  
"Messing with the past is one of the most dangerous things you could possibly do," Willow explained, "Even changing something small, could lead to a dramatic difference in your future. And you don't know if its for better or worse until it's too late."  
  
Dawn nodded, "But if you're careful, if you know exactly what to do..." she started. The thought of that spell was opening up so many different possibilities to her.  
  
"_No,_" Willow said, "Its a horrible spell that never should have been invented. Changing the past of one person can ruin the future of everyone on the planet."  
  
-----  
  
Dawn lay in her bed, staring up at the ceiling. She had been awake for hours, just thinking.  
  
After Dawn had found that spell, Willow had ended their magic lessons for the day. Dawn didn't understand why.  
  
She also didn't understand why that spell was so bad. With it, someone could go back and fix every mistake they'd ever made. It was driving her crazy just thinking about how different things could be.  
  
She could change anything she wanted. Everything she ever regretted about her past. Everyone that had left..  
  
She sat up in bed, suddenly, that thought flashing in her mind again and again.  
  
_Mom, Tara, Anya, Spike...I could save them all._  
  
She looked around her room slowly, considering it.  
  
_I could do it. And be careful about it..._  
  
She slowly slipped out of her bed. She quietly opened her door and tip-toed down the hall into the kitchen. Willow's books were still stacked on the table.  
  
_'Good,' _she thought, looking around the kitchen for some kind of light.  
  
She couldn't turn the kitchen light on. It was too risky since Xander was asleep on the couch.  
  
The only flashlight they had was in Buffy's room, and it was even riskier to go in there.  
  
She sighed and walked over to the counter, quietly opening the top drawer.  
  
"There has to be something, somewhere in here that'll make light," she whispered to herself.  
  
She dug through the drawer. Nothing.  
  
She huffed and opened the next drawer. She pushed a few spatulas and a pizza cutter aside, and saw it.   
  
Spike's lighter.  
  
She picked it up and stared at it, amazed.  
  
_'How long has Buffy had this?'_ she thought, the shrugged, _'Oh well, it'll work.'  
_  
She turned around and headed to the table. She flipped open the lighter and flicked it on, looking for the correct book. When she found it, she let out a triumphant 'Aha!' and then threw her other hand over her mouth.  
  
She heard Xander's snores pause in the living room, and she froze.   
  
Much to her relief, they started again, and she heard him roll over and mumble something.  
  
She let out her breath, and slowly opened the book. It only took her a few tries to find the spell she was looking for, and when she did, she stopped, staring at it.  
  
_ 'Should I really do this?' _she wondered.  
  
Then she remembered all the nights Buffy cried herself to sleep over Spike. All the times Xander needed to leave the room when Anya was brought up. The uneasiness that fell over Willow whenever someone asked her to do magic. And the hole that was still in her chest, all these years later, after losing her mother.   
  
_'Yes.'_  
  
She held the lighter over the page, quietly reciting the spell. She was proud of herself for not getting stuck on to many words, but when she came to a part where she was supposed to say the date and place she wished to return to, she paused, thinking for a moment.  
  
Finally, she whispered, "February 13th, 2001, Sunnydale, California."  
  
The world spun around her and everything went black.

* * *

**A/N** - Just an idea I got after watching 'The Butterfly Effect'! It's taking place around the same time that Illyria starts with all her time-related difficulties. (Hint, hint) And Dawn doesn't know that Spike's back, either, if you didn't pick that up. R&R!  
  
_seVensIns_  
  
7sins(dot)bravemusings(dot)com 


	2. Unable to Move

Disclaimer - What's mine is mine, and what's theirs is their's? Got it? Good.

Time Bomb by Seven Sins

Chapter 2 - Unable to Move

Posted: 8.2.04

* * *

Dawn opened her eyes, and what she saw almost made her scream.  
  
She was sitting in her old room in her old house in Sunnydale.   
  
_'What the fu--'_  
  
And then she remembered, and a huge smile broke her face.  
  
"It worked!" she yelled, jumping out of her bed and rushing down the stairs.  
  
She rounded the corner at the bottom and then abruptly stopped, staring into the living in shock.  
  
"Mom?" she said.  
  
Joyce turned her head, "Oh, Dawnie! You're awake!" she said, smiling.  
  
Dawn rushed forward and threw her arms around her. Joyce was caught off guard, but gently hugged her back. When Dawn pulled away, she looked like she was fighting back tears.  
  
"What's wrong, honey?" Joyce asked.  
  
Dawn shook her head, "Nothing," she said, wiping away the tears, "Just...allergies!"  
  
"At this time of year?" Joyce asked.  
  
"Um..." Dawn said, "Yeah! I think it's that new fabric softener!"   
  
"But we didn't get new fabric softener," Joyce said questioningly.  
  
"Oh.." Dawn said, "Well then, I don't know what it is. She turned to look around the room. Giles was sitting in a chair, staring at her strangely.  
  
_'Oh hell, I'm still the key,' _she remembered.  
  
She smiled at Giles, who didn't return it, and continued looking around the room. Her gaze fell to the TV where an episode of 'Friends' was playing.   
  
"Hey, I remember this one!" she said, smiling.  
  
Joyce furrowed her eyebrows, "How can you honey? It's a new one," she said.  
  
Dawn bit her lip, _'Oops' _she thought.  
  
"I mean, I remember hearing about it," she said.  
  
"Oh," Joyce said, still looking confused.  
  
Dawn smiled and slid down onto the floor, turning to face the television.  
  
Minutes later, the door opened and Buffy stepped inside, "I'm back by popular demand," she said.  
  
"Did you have a nice time?" Giles asked.  
  
Buffy shrugged and sat down, "You know, I think I did. Much-needed fun, apart from Willow's headaches and Spike's cameo appearance," she said.  
  
Dawn spun her head around, "Spike was there?!" she asked, a bit too enthusiastically.  
  
"Unfortunately," Buffy said, looking at her the same way Joyce had moments ago.  
  
Joyce came forward and sat down beside Buffy, "Well, I'm relieved that you're home. Because to be honest, I wasn't feeling all that safe with you gone," she said.  
  
Giles raised his eyebrows as he sipped his tea.  
  
"At first!" Joyce added quickly, "And then I, um, remembered that, um, Rupert was here and I felt much, much safer."  
  
Giles sat his cup down and stood up, "Yes, well, thank you for the little backpedal, but uh, I'm forced to agree that I'm ... barely an adequate substitute for a Slayer in the house," he said, moving towards the door, "Good night."  
  
"Good night," Joyce said back.  
  
Dawn watched Buffy get up and follow into the hallway. There was a mumbled conversation, and Dawn knew it was about her.  
  
She shrugged and turned back to the television "Not like I haven't been through it before," she said to herself, "Actually, she added thoughtfully, "I have been through _exactly_ this before," it took everything in her not to laugh at her little, private joke.  
  
"Dawn!" Buffy yelled suddenly.  
  
Dawn rolled her eyes, "I didn't take your clothes, shut up," she said.  
  
Buffy and Giles exchanged glances, "Bull!" Buffy continued, "Then what happened to my blue cashmere sweater?"  
  
Dawn looked away from the television, "Spike has it," she said quietly to herself.  
  
"What?" Buffy asked.   
  
"Spike has it!" Dawn jumped up and raced to the door, "Giles!" she said, "Can I get a ride to the cemetery?"  
  
"What?" Buffy yelled, "Absolutely not! You are not going to the cemetery!"  
  
Dawn rolled her eyes, "I wasn't talking to you," she said, "Giles, please! It's important."  
  
Giles looked at her like she was insane, "Um...if...you mother says it's alright, I guess I could," he said slowly.  
  
Dawn smiled, "Mom! Can I?"  
  
"I...wha..."  
  
"Great!" Dawn said, grabbing her jacket off the coat rack, "Oh, I miss this jacket," she said before sliding it on.  
  
Buffy and Giles exchanged nervous glances as Dawn raced out the door.  
  
"What the hell is wrong with her?" Buffy asked, watching Dawn throw open the door to Giles' car.  
  
"Well, let's go!" she called to them.  
  
Giles stuck his hands in his pockets and walked down the porch steps, Buffy hesitantly following behind him.  
  
Once they were in the car and driving down the road, Dawn was plastered to the car window, staring at everything they passed.  
  
"It's just like I remember it," she whispered.  
  
"What?" Buffy asked, turning around in the passenger seat and looking at her.  
  
"Nothing," Dawn said quickly, turning away from the window.  
  
The two of them stared at each other for a moment before Giles announced, "We're here."  
  
Dawn threw her door open and stepped out into the cemetery. She took a few steps and then froze, "Which way was it?" she wondered quietly.  
  
She looked around for a moment, and then remembered, hurrying off in the direction of Spike's crypt. Buffy and Giles raced after her.  
  
"Dawn!" Buffy yelled, "Slow down! Where are you going?"   
  
Dawn ignored and ran up to the door of Spike's crypt, knocking frantically.  
  
There was a few loud crashes inside as Dawn continued knocking.  
  
"Bloody hell! I'm coming!" she heard Spike yell from inside.  
  
The door flew open and Spike glared at her. He didn't even have time to register who it was before she threw herself on him.  
  
"Spike!" Dawn said, "It's really you!"  
  
Buffy's jaw dropped and Giles couldn't pull his glasses off his face fast enough.  
  
Spike's eyes widened, "Yeah, really me..." he said, tentatively hugging her back.  
  
Dawn let go of him and slid to the ground.  
  
"DAWN!" Buffy yelled, running up and grabbing her arm, pulling her away from Spike, "What the hell is wrong with you?"  
  
Spike glared at her, "You know slayer, just because you and your stupid scoobies hate me doesn't mean everyone has to," he shot.  
  
"Shut up, Spike," Buffy said, "Dawn, are you sick?"  
  
Dawn opened her mouth to say 'no,' but then stopped, "Sick." She said.  
  
"Yeah, sick. Are you?" Buffy asked again.  
  
"Mom. Mom's sick!" Dawn cried suddenly, "I can't believe I forgot, oh God..." she whipped around and raced back to the car.  
  
"Dawn!" Giles yelled after her.  
  
Dawn got to the car whipped the rear door open, "Let's go!" she yelled to Buffy and Giles who were running after her, "We have to go now!"  
  
"Dawn, what is going on!?" Buffy asked.  
  
"We have to get home now!" she repeated, "Mom's sick! We have to get home!"  
  
"No," Buffy said, "Mom's not sick anymore. She got the surgery. You know that."  
  
"NO!" Dawn yelled, "She needs to go to the doctor. Something went wrong!"  
  
"What?" Buffy asked.  
  
Dawn ignored her and looked at Giles, "Giles, please. Take me home," she said.  
  
Giles looked at Buffy again before slowly saying, "All right. Buffy, get in."  
  
-----  
  
"Mom!" Dawn called, throwing the front door open.  
  
Joyce jumped and then looked over at Dawn as she walked into the room, "What, honey?" she asked, "What's wrong.  
  
"You _have _to go see a doctor!" she answered breathlessly as Buffy walked into the house.  
  
"Why?" Joyce asked, "What's going on?" she looked over at Buffy.  
  
Buffy shrugged, still confused.  
  
Dawn looked over at her, and then back to Joyce, "It's just..." she started, "I have this feeling. That something's wrong. And, I'd just be more comfortable if you went and saw the doctor," she lied.  
  
Joyce stared at for a moment and then said, "Okay, I'll make an appointment tomorrow," she said, "Just, come sit do..."  
  
Her voice trailed of and Dawn's head was engulfed in pain. She screamed and grabbed it, falling to the floor. Everything around her spun and images began flashing through her head.  
  
_Buffy, Dawn and Joyce all sat in the hospital.  
  
"It's a good thing we found it soon enough, Ms. Summers," the doctor was saying, "Who knows what could have happened if we didn't."  
_  
It flashed away and another started  
  
_Dawn was standing next to Buffy's headstone with her mother, who was sobbing uncontrollably into Giles' shoulder, "My baby...oh my sweet baby girl..." her muffled voice said.  
_  
And then another  
  
_"We have to leave, Dawn, I'm sorry," Joyce was saying, "I just can't bear living here anymore.."_  
  
Dawn screamed and shot up.  
  
She was breathing hard, her head whipping around, looking at a room she was completely unfamiliar with.  
  
Suddenly, the door in front of her burst open and Joyce stepped in, "Dawn, what's wrong?" she asked.  
  
Dawn gasped. Her mother looked horrible. She was pale, and bony and her eyes looked so empty.  
  
"N...nothing," Dawn said, "Bad dream.  
  
Joyce looked unconvinced, "Are you sure? Are you all right?"  
  
Dawn nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine."  
  
"Okay," Joyce said, stepping out of the room and shutting the door behind her.  
  
"Oh no..." Dawn said, looking around the room again.  
  
She slid out of the bed and walked to the window, lifting the blinds and staring out at the city around her.  
  
"We're in LA..." she sighed, "Oh no..."  
  
She spun around and looked at a calendar on the wall, trying to remember dates, "Oh Willow, please still do the spell," she begged no one in particular.  
  
Suddenly, she heard a phone ring. She looked over at the closed door, and listened intently.  
  
"Hello?" she heard Joyce say. Then there was silence.  
  
Dawn waited, getting restless after about a minute.  
  
Then she heard Joyce barely whisper, "Buffy?"  
  
Dawn's face broke into a smile, "Thank God!" she cried.  
  
Just then, her door opened again, and a petrified looking Joyce stuck her head in, "Dawn," she said, "Dawn, pack your things, we're going back to Sunnydale."  
  
"Buffy back?" Dawn asked.  
  
Joyce nodded as a smile slowly crept over her face. She was still too shocked to ask how she already knew.  
  
Suddenly, another sharp pain shot through Dawn's head and she grasped it, unable to get a scream out as the memories rebuilt themselves in her head  
  
_ She was in a car with Joyce. They were driving at least ten miles above the speed limit, and she was rambling on, a huge smile on her face.  
  
"I don't know how Willow did it, but..." she looked over at Dawn who smiled back.  
  
Then there as a loud horn sounding, and Dawn turned around just in time to see a Semi-Truck heading right for them._  
  
She screamed as the memory flashed away  
  
_A doctor stood beside her hospital bed, talking to Buffy and Xander, who were standing on the other side._  
  
_"I hate being the one to tell you these things, especially after the death of your mother, but the crash also paralyzed your sister from the waist down. There's almost no chance of her ever walking again."_  
  
Dawn's eyes flew open, and she gasped.  
  
She was in the magic shop, with Xander sitting next to her and Anya behind the cash register.  
  
Xander looked up from the book he was reading and smiled, "Hey Dawnie, you dozed off," he said.  
  
Dawn nodded and tried to stand up, but was surprised to find that she couldn't.  
  
She looked down at her legs and had to hold in another scream.  
  
She was in a wheelchair, and was unable to move her legs.  
  
"Found it!" she heard Willow's voice say as she sat down on her other side.  
  
She slid a book onto the table, and Dawn immediately recognized it.  
  
That was the book that brought her here. The book that messed everything up.  
  
"Yeah," Xander said, "but did you find the one with the spell to get rid of that ghost-thing that's been bugging Buffy in it?" he asked.  
  
Willow's smile fell, "Oh yeah. I still need to find that," she sighed and stood up, heading back towards the bookshelves.  
  
Xander looked back down at his book and flipped the page.  
  
Dawn slowly reached out and slid the book over in front of her, turning to the page she remembered the spell was on.   
  
"There has to be a counter-spell," she whispered to herself, scanning the pages.  
  
Then she found it, on the opposite side of the same page.  
  
She read it over, and then started to recite it as quietly as possible.  
  
"What?" Xander asked, not looking up from his book.  
  
Dawn ignored him and continued.  
  
"What did you say Dawn?" Xander asked, as everything around her began to melt away like a candle.  
  
"Dawnie? What's wro--"  
  
-----  
  
Dawn opened her eyes and she was in her and Buffy's kitchen in Rome again.  
  
She looked over at the clock on the microwave, and was surprised that only about two minutes had passed.  
  
"Okay," she said to herself, "I can't save Mom," her face fell in disappointment.  
  
Then she perked up a bit, "But I can still save Tara," she looked down at the book that was still open in front of her.  
  
She opened her mouth and began reciting the spell again, but then stopped.  
  
'_Should I really do it again?' _a voice in her head asked, 'What if something goes wrong like last time?'  
  
Dawn stopped and stared down at the pages, trying to decide.  
  
_'What if it only gets worse...'_  
  
Dawn shook her head, "I can't," she said to herself, preparing to close the book. Then she stopped, remembering everything that had happened after Tara's death.   
  
She slowly opened the book again.  
  
_'I have to try.'_  
  
"May 7th, 2002"

* * *

A/N - The dates are exactly right, I know, but they're close. It was way too hard to get them _exactly_ right. Anyway, R&R! I'll love you forever!  
  
_seVensIns_  
  
7sins(dot)bravemusings(dot)com   
  
PS - Got bored and made a website! Link's in the journal under "website"! Check it out! There's images and such to go with the stories! 


	3. Punishment

**Disclaimer** - You know the drill

**Time Bomb** by **Seven Sins**

Chapter 3 - Punishment

Posted: 8.16.04

* * *

Dawn opened her eyes to find herself back in her room in Sunnydale. She sighed, "Okay, no messing up this time," she told herself.  
She slipped out of her bed just as she heard footsteps in the hallway. Tentatively, she reached for her doorknob and pulled the door open. Willow was just closing Buffy's bedroom door.  
"Is she back yet?" Dawn asked as Willow turned around.  
"Uh..." Willow started nervously, "Not yet. I'm sure she'll be home soon. Everything's fine, just go back to bed."  
"It's ten o'clock," Dawn said.  
"Oh. Uh..." Willow trailed off.  
"You don't think she's going to hurt Spike, do you?" Dawn asked.  
Willow frowned, "She told you about Spike?"  
Dawn raised an eyebrow, "It was kind of obvious," she paused, "I can't believe I didn't figure it out sooner..." she trailed off, talking to herself more now than Willow.  
"Yeah, I totally knew," Willow lied.  
Dawn was silent, so Willow continued.  
"It's gonna be all right. It's just ... complicated. You know, when, when people have such strong feelings for each other, sometimes-,"  
"Is she back yet?" Tara's voice called.  
Tara stepped out of the bedroom, wrapped in a sheet. Dawn saw her, and her face lit up. "Tara!?" she asked.  
Tara looked embarrassed, "Oh..hey," she said.  
Dawn would have given her a hug, but felt it would only make the situation a bit more awkward. They stood there silently for a moment.  
"Well, that's my cue to go put some clothes on," Tara said, turning back into the bedroom.  
"No!" Dawn said, "No no no! I'm totally not here! You guys, you do whatever you want. Um...I'll go watch TV," she giggled, "Downstairs, really loud! In the basement. Where I can't hear anything," she started to rush down the stairs, and then turned around, giggling like mad, "I love you guys!" she said.  
Willow and Tara smiled as she disappeared.  
-----  
  
Dawn and Buffy were downstairs sitting on the sofa when Tara and Willow finally decided to leave their room.  
"Okay, we're here," Willow said, "Ready for action! Uh, bad guy fighting action," she giggled.  
Buffy and Dawn looked up at them.  
"Guys, you didn't have to...You know, if you still wanna be alone-," Buffy said.  
"No," Willow said, "No, we're good."  
"We're better than good," Tara added.  
Dawn smiled, but inside she was dying to say something.  
_'Keep your cool, Summers,'_ she said to herself, _'Remember what happened when you went crazy last time'_  
"Great."  
"Super," Willow said softly.  
Her and Tara kissed briefly, and then slowly began kissing more intensely.  
Dawn giggled, causing them to pull away.  
"Aww.." Buffy said, smiling.  
"Okay, all right, we'll stop," Willow apologized.  
"Oh, you better not!," Dawn warned, still smiling.  
Tara smiled at her and then said, "So, um, nerds. How are them? They?"  
Buffy sighed, "Well, I found their lair, but they obviously knew we were tracing their signal. They left in a hurry. Van was gone, but everything else was still there," she said.  
"We should go back," Willow said, "Uh, Tara and I can Sherlock around-"  
Buffy cut her off, "There's nothing left there now. Giant buzz saw. It was a thing," she pointed to the papers, "This was all that I could save. I, I know it's not much, but we need to go through it and see if we can find anything that might tell us what, what they're doing, where they're going..."  
Willow and Tara knelt on the floor next to the coffee table. Tara reached out and picked up one of the books, but it fell apart in half on her lap.  
"Um," she chuckled, "This might take awhile."  
"Any way we can fast-forward it?" Buffy asked, "We really need to find Warren and the others before anyone else gets hurt."  
Dawn suddenly remembered Warren. _'I have to keep them from going back upstairs,' _she thought, looking over at Willow and Tara.  
"Should we call Xander?" Willow asked.  
Buffy grimaced, "I don't think he's really in the Scooby space. We need to give him some time."  
Dawn finally spoke up, "Maybe they've heard something in the demon bars about those guys. Spike-"  
"Spike," Buffy interrupted quickly, "Spike's not part of the team."  
"Wh-" Dawn started, and then paused, remembering the cameras, "Oh yeah," she said quietly, "So he's not going to be around anymore?" she asked.  
"I don't know, Dawn," Buffy said, "Not for awhile."  
Dawn shook her head, "You don't get it, do you?" she asked suddenly.  
Tara and Willow both looked up at her, surprised.  
"I mean..." Dawn said, trying to cover up her outburst, "He loves you," she looked over at Buffy, "You know that, right?"  
Buffy looked at her, shocked, "Dawn, what are you-"  
"Just," Dawn paused, "Just think about what you would do if he was ever gone."  
Buffy opened her mouth to say something back, but Dawn stopped her.  
"Don't answer me. I told you, just think about it," she said, standing up and walking to the kitchen.  
Tara, Willow, and Buffy stared after her, "What?..." Buffy started.  
Both witches shrugged, looking as baffled as the slayer.  
-  
Later that night, Dawn stood it front of the door to Spike's crypt.  
"Okay," she said to herself, "No outbursts, no hugs. Stay calm," she slowly pushed the door open.  
Spike was standing with his back to her, mixing some kind of blood 'n' beer drink.  
"Does it help?" Dawn asked.  
Spike looked over his shoulder at her, "Doesn't hurt," he said, taking a sip.  
Dawn stood there quietly, trying to control her urge to babble out some strange combination of 'I'Miss-You's and 'Buffy-Really-Does-Love-You's.  
"Not planning a camp-out, are we?" Spike asked, looking at her backpack.  
Dawn shrugged, "Actually, that's kind of what I had in mind," she admitted.  
Spike raised an eyebrow.  
"It's just..." she continued, "I figured Willow and Tara might want some time to, uh..."  
Spike smiled slightly, "Oh, so the birds are flying again, eh?" he asked, looking down into the glass, "Ain't love grand," he added bitterly.  
He turned and sat down in his armchair, avoiding Dawn's gaze.  
Dawn sighed, "Everyone's kind of mad at you," she said.  
"Yeah," Spike said, taking another sip of his drink, "Kind of picked up on that."  
There was silence.  
Spike shook his head, "It's complicated, Nibblet."  
Dawn sighed and stepped into the room, dropping her bag along the way, "Everyone keeps saying that," she said, sounding exasperated.  
"Must be true then," Spike took another drink.  
"Yeah well," Dawn plopped down on the floor, "You guys make it that way."  
Spike chuckled, and they returned to silence.  
"Was it worth it?" Dawn asked, "What you did with Anya."  
Spike looked at her, surprised, "Buffy told you?"  
Dawn shrugged, "Kind of caught the show," she admitted, "There was a camera somewhere in the Magic Box. Warren and Jonathan and that other guy have been watching Buffy."  
"Wankers," Spike muttered angrily.  
Dawn looked around the crypt, then back at Spike, "I know you love her."  
Spike almost laughed, "Oh, no. It was just a ... It was a bad day. For both of us. And we just had a few drinks and, things just-"  
"No, not Anya," Dawn said, "Buffy."  
Spike just looked down into his glass.  
"Why'd you do that to her, then?" she continued.  
Spike shook his head, "Oh, right , 'cause Big Sis was treating me so well up until that point. Must still be a bit of the evil left in me after all."  
Dawn sighed, "I don't know everything that happened between you two. But what you did last night, if you wanted to hurt Buffy, congratulations, it worked."  
Dawn had the urge to leave, but forced herself to stay. If she wanted to change things, she'd have to put up with going through all these emotions again.  
Spike stared down into the glass. "What are you here for, anyway?" he asked after a few minutes of silence.  
Dawn shrugged, "Everyone's worried about Buffy," she said, standing and walking around the crypt, "But no one's worried about you."  
Spike shook his head, "'Course they're not. I'm the evil dead with no soul, remember?" he took another sip.  
Dawn turned around to look at him, "So get one," she said.  
Spike looked at her like she was crazy, "What? A soul?" he asked, "Not that easy, bit."  
Dawn shrugged, "I'm just saying," she started, "Maybe, if you got a soul, things would change between you and Buffy. Things could...I don't know...work out, maybe?"  
She walked back over to her bag. Spike stared at her, surprised.  
"What are you trying to say?"  
Dawn flung her bag over her shoulder and took a few steps to the door, "I'm not _trying_ to say anything. I'm telling you. There's still a chance. Think about it," she walked over to the door and pulled it open.  
"Where are you going?' Spike asked as she stepped outside.  
"I don't know," Dawn shrugged, "I'm thinking I actually might go over to Janice's. I haven't seen her in a while," she said, shutting the door.  
Spike stared after her, his mind reeling with a mixture of shock, confusion, and ideas.  
  
-----  
  
Dawn had caught Janice by surprise that night. Lucky for her, her parents didn't seem to mind. So she spent the night, and thankfully it wasn't too bad. She had steered clear of mentioning any of the unhappy situations at home, and at one point of the night, she found herself forgetting that she had done all of this before. For a brief moment, she was back in Sunnydale with one of her best friends. For a brief moment, everything was a little less complicated than it had been before. And afterwards, Dawn found herself wishing that she had Willow's book with her so she could go back and attempt to relive that moment again.  
  
-----  
  
"I'm home!" Dawn said, throwing the front door open and stepping inside.  
She looked around for a moment, wondering where everyone was.  
That's when she spotted it. Spike's jacket. It was sitting on the railing.  
"Oh no," she whispered, dropping her bag and racing up the stairs, "Shit. Spike, please don't do anything stupid yet," she kept muttering to herself.  
She was up the stairs and outside the bathroom door faster than even she thought she could get there. She reached for the handle, and then stopped, listening to the conversation going on inside.  
"You should have let him kill me," Spike was saying.  
"I couldn't do that," Buffy said softly.  
"Why?" Spike asked.  
"You know why."  
"Because you love me."  
She heard Buffy sigh, "No, I don't."  
"Why do you keep lying to yourself?" Spike asked.  
Dawn looked through the crack in the door, watching as Buffy whirled around and glared at Spike, "How many times do I have to tell you-" she paused, composing herself, "I have feelings for you. I do. But it's not love. I could never trust you enough for it to be love."  
Spike chuckled, "Trust is for old marrieds, Buffy."  
Buffy rolled her eyes.  
"Great love is wild," he continued, "and passionate and dangerous. It burns and consumes."  
"Until there's nothing left! Love like that doesn't last," Buffy shot.  
Dawn's eyes followed Spike as he began pacing, "I know you feel like I do. You don't have to hide it anymore."  
Buffy sighed, "Spike, please stop this," she was almost begging.  
Spike paused, "Let yourself feel it," he whispered, so quietly that Dawn was surprised that she heard it.  
He moved forward then, reaching for Buffy. Dawn wasted no more time to throw the door open and interrupt them.  
Spike whirled around and Buffy looked over at her in surprise.  
"Hey," she started, once again completely unsure of how she was going to handle this, "I...uh...you guys. I thought you were fighting...or something," she said quietly, looking down at the floor.  
"No," Buffy said, "Spike was just leaving," she glared at Spike.  
He looked up at her helplessly one last time and then turned around, walking out of the bathroom past Dawn.  
"Bye," Dawn said quietly as he walked past.  
Spike nodded to her and continued down the stairs, grabbing his jacket along the way.  
Once he was out the door, Dawn turned back around to Buffy.  
She glared at her, "You're a bitch, you know that?" she asked, walking out of the bathroom and slamming the door behind her.  
Buffy stared at the door in shock, her mouth agape. _'What the hell has been wrong with her lately?'_ she wondered.  
-----  
  
Dawn had been sitting in the living room fuming when Xander burst through the door. He glanced around, spotting Dawn on the couch.  
"Hey Dawnie, where's Buffy?" he asked.  
"Upstairs," Dawn answered, "Rewarding herself with a nice, warm bath."  
Xander raised an eyebrow, "Rewarding herself? For what?"  
Dawn shrugged, "For ripping out yet another guys heart and beating it with a sledge hammer."  
Buffy rolled her eyes as she walked down the stairs, "Ignore her," she said to Xander, "she's been sticking up for Spike lately. I'm beginning to think he brainwashed her."  
Dawn glared at her, "Whatever, Buffy," she muttered, turning back around and flipping on the television.  
  
------  
  
Dawn woke up the next morning, still on the couch where she had been watching television. It had gotten boring quickly, seeing as she'd already seen anything worth watching.  
She sat up and looked around, listening for any sign of life. She heard giggling upstairs, which was undoubtedly Willow and Tara. But where was Buffy? The clock read eleven-thirty.

_'Buffy should be here,'_ Dawn thought.  
Then, as if someone had heard her worries, the door opened, and Buffy and Xander stepped in.  
"But why Africa?" Buffy was asking.  
"Why do you care?" Xander asked back.  
Buffy shrugged, "I don't know. It's just...what Dawn said, it kind of guilt tripped me. I don't know why but..." she stopped when she saw Dawn sitting on the couch, watching them.  
"Dawn!" Buffy said, "You're just waking up?"  
"Yep," Dawn said, standing and stretching her arms above her head, "Where were you guys?"  
Buffy hesitated, "I was..." she sighed, "I went looking for Spike," she admitted, "And I ran into Xander on the way back here."  
Dawn nodded, "You didn't find him?"she asked.  
Buffy shook her head, "No. Clem was there. He said all Spike told him was that he'd be leaving for Africa. He didn't say why," she walked into the kitchen, Dawn and Xander close behind.  
"And I for one still don't understand why she cares," Xander added.  
Dawn and Buffy both rolled their eyes. Buffy reached out to open the kitchen door into the backyard, when Dawn froze.  
"Don't!" she yelled.  
Her outburst made both Xander and Buffy jump, "Why?" Buffy asked.  
Dawn paused, "Um...it just...don't you think Willow and Tara would want to come out with us, too?" she asked.  
"Dawnie, I think they still want to be alone," Buffy answered.  
"Well we should check," Dawn insisted, and before anyone could stop her, she spun around and ran for the stairs, "Willow! Tara!" she called.  
"Yeah?" Willow's voice called back as she appeared at the top of the stairs.  
"Um...we're going to sit out back and...sit," Dawn said slowly, "You guys want to come."  
Willow smiled as Tara appeared next to her, "Sure," she said, "We we're planning on coming downstairs in a few minutes anyway."  
Dawn smiled back as they descended the stairs, hand in hand. Then she turned and headed back into the kitchen where Xander and Buffy were whispering. When Buffy saw her walk in, they both stopped and stared at her. She smiled sardonically at them.  
"Well, let's go!" she said, pushing past Buffy and opening the door.  
Once they were all outside and sitting, things got quiet. Like no one had any idea what to talk about.  
"How did we get here?" Xander asked finally.  
"Scenic route. Long drive," Buffy answered.  
"The past few weeks..." Xander continued.  
"Have been rough for everyone," Dawn finished.  
Everyone turned to look at her where she sat Indian-style on the ground.  
"She's right," Tara said quietly, "Things have been rough lately and..."  
She stopped suddenly, "Oh my God, Buffy!" she pointed over Buffy's shoulder where Warren stood.  
"You think you can just do that to me? You think I'd let you get away with that?" Warren asked, laughing like a mad man, "Think again!"  
He started shooting wildly, the bullets flying through the air at random targets as he ran away. Dawn rolled away on the ground, and looked up just in time to see one shoot through Willow's bedroom window.  
_'The one that killed Tara,'_ she thought.  
She rolled back around, just as Tara and Xander were also picking themselves up off the ground.  
"Oh no," Xander said.  
Dawn was frozen, "No," she whispered to herself, "No, not like this...this isn't how..."  
"Willow?" Tara asked quietly," rolling Willow's still form over in the ground, "Oh God," Tara cried, when she saw the bullet hole through Willow's chest, "Oh God," she said again, her body beginning to rack with sobs, "Willow!"  
"Buffy?" Xander's hand came up to cover his mouth and he looked down at Buffy, who was lying in the grass, still. She blinked slowly, "Oh God, Buffy...Willow, oh God," he fell down onto the ground on his knees, tears steaming down his face.  
Dawn's own eyes were filling with tears, "Buffy," she whispered, "Buffy's still alive!"  
She stood up and began to rush toward her sister, when she felt the familiar pain seer through her head and she fell back down onto the ground, screaming.  
__

_The doctor came out into the waiting room where Xander, Tara and Dawn sat.  
"I'm sorry," he said quietly, "We've lost both of them. We tried everything we could for Miss Summer's, but she died on the operating table..."_  
And then

_Spike stood outside, knocking on the door to the Summer's home. His hair was unbleached and there were still fresh tear trails on his face.  
Giles opened the door, his own face grim.  
"Is Buffy here," Spike asked quietly, "Is she here? I need...I need to talk to her."  
The sound faded out as Giles began to explain to Spike what had happened. The last thing Dawn remembered of the vision was Spike falling to the porch floor, sobbing uncontrollably._  
And then

_Tara, hugging Dawn goodbye, "I wish I could stay Dawn," she said, "But God, it's just too painful..."_  
  
Dawn opened her eyes to find herself sitting in Buffy's old room. She heard sobs. She knew those sobs.  
"Spike?" she asked, looking over where he was huddled in the corner, clutching one of Buffy's shirts, his tears falling onto it.  
"It's my fault," he murmured, "My fault. William's being punished. I'm being punished. I was a bad man. This is my punishment," he cried, then breaking down again, unable to say more.  
"Spike," Dawn felt her heart break, "Spike no, it's not your fault," she said, she could feel the warmth of tears behind her own eyes.  
"Yes it is, all my fault..." he continued.  
Dawn opened her mouth to say more, but she heard someone walk in behind her.  
"Xander?" she asked.  
Xander looked horrible. The way Joyce had in the apartment in LA. Empty.  
"Spike," he yelled, "Why are you in here again?!" he stepped forward and reached down, ripping the shirt away from him, "Get out! You shouldn't even be here! I don't know why Giles let's you stay here!" he yelled.  
"Xander!" Dawn yelled in disbelief, "Don't!"  
"Why?" Xander asked, turning around to look at her, "Because he has a soul now? Because he can 'feel' now?" he turned back to Spike, "Like that changes anything."  
Dawn shook her head, and raced from the room. She threw the door open the Willow's old room, and ran over to her bookshelf, "The book...the book. Where is it!?" she yelled. She stepped away from the piece of furniture, her eyes filled with rage.  
"Where is it!?" she yelled again, so angry, that she didn't even notice that she had picked up the lamp and threw it across the room until it hit the wall and the lightbulb shattered.  
She looked down at where the shade had landed on the floor. On top of the exact book she'd been looked for, "Oh." she said, feeling a bit stupid.  
She ran over to it, and bent down, flipping to the page almost automatically.  
"Dawn?" she heard Giles call up the stairs, "Are you all right? What was that crash?"  
"Yeah, I'll be fine in just a second," Dawn said, taking a breath to say the spell that would reverse everything she'd attempted to make better.  
She was getting so used the feeling, that she didn't even scream or grab her head when the world spun and went black again.  
  
-----  
  
She opened her eyes and was, once again, back in the kitchen in Rome.  
Her eyes were still filled with anger, and it took everything in her not to throw something again.  
"This isn't working," she admitted to herself outloud, staring down at the book in disgust.  
She sighed and was just about to give up, when she spotted Spike's lighter again. She reached out and picked it up, twirling it between her fingers.  
_'One more try,'_ a voice in her head said, _'If it doesn't work, I'll stop."  
_She flicked the lighter on and leaned over the spell book.  
"May 20th, 2003."

* * *

**A/N** - Sorry for the lack of updates!! I meant to get something up before I left for vacation, but then got side-tracked. Oops...Anyway, I doubt I'll get anything up before this big upgrade on the 17th and 18th. Sorry! But I have school-supply shopping and what-not to get done before I have to go back on the 25th! I'll try to keep school from making my updates slower, but I'm not promising anything. Fanfiction comes first in my eyes, but unfortunately, not in the eyes of my parents...Ah well, R&R! Also - If paragraphs are messed up or anything, I apologize. stopped supporting indents, and I wrote part of thsi chapter before I knew that!  
  
_seVensIns_  
  
7sins(dot)bravemusings(dot)com 


	4. Shining

**Time Bomb** by** Seven Sins **

_Chapter 4 - Shining_

Posted: 8.24.04

* * *

Dawn opened her eyes to find herself in the passenger seat of Xander's old car.  
  
"Pull over," she commanded, making Xander jump.  
  
Xander looked over at her, "I didn't realize you were awake," he said quietly.  
  
"Pull over," Dawn told him again.  
  
Xander sighed and handed her an envelope. Dawn didn't even bother opening it to read the letter inside. She already knew what it said. In one swift movement, she tossed the letter over her shoulder and grabbed the taser gun on the floor. Before Xander could react, she had zapped him unconscious and he fell forward onto the wheel.  
  
Dawn reached over and turned the car off. Then she turned back towards Xander, and started to drag him to the side of the car she sat on. This proved to be a bit more difficult than she had planned. Eventually though, she got him over far enough so that she could drive. She turned the car back on, and slowly turned around, hoping she could figure out how to get back.  
  
'I still can't believe she thought she'd get away with this," Dawn thought as she drove.

* * *

Dawn groaned in aggravation as she tried to parallel park Xander's car for the third.  
  
She sighed and sat back in the seat, "I give up," she muttered, looking over at Xander as she opened her door.  
  
She glanced around once and then walked over to the opposite side of the car. She opened the door, only to have the front-half of Xander's body flop out and land with a loud 'thud' on the sidewalk.  
  
Dawn cringed, "Oops."  
  
She bent down and grabbed his upper arms, trying to drag the rest of him out of the vehicle.  
  
_'Either I'm extremely weak_,' she thought, _'Or Xander has an extremely large amount of body fat._'  
  
Dawn took a deep breath and pulled, putting all of her muscle power it it. Thankfully, she felt the rest of him start to slip off the seat. She was just about to sigh in relief when his entire body flopped out and almost knocked her over. Dawn gasped and struggled to regain her balance. She was almost to the point where she was going to just drop him on the sidewalk, when she spotted Spike out of the corner of her eye.  
  
He was storming down the street, muttering to himself and looking very pissed off.  
  
"Spike!" Dawn called through gritted teeth.  
  
Spike stopped and looked over at her, "Dawn?" he asked, "What are you doing?" he looked down at Xander.  
  
"Help!" Dawn pleaded.  
  
Spike didn't look too thrilled about it, but he came over and nudged her out of the way, grabbing Xander's arms just where she had.  
  
"Get his legs," he directed.  
  
Dawn stepped over and grabbed his ankles, and together they started struggling towards the stairs. They were about halfway up, when the door flew open and Willow gasped, "Xander? Dawn? But..."  
  
Dawn shook her head, "Don't even talk about it," she said.  
  
"Where do you want this?" Spike asked, indicating to Xander.  
  
Willow pointed towards to dining room, "Set him in a chair, I'll get ice," she rushed passed them into the kitchen.  
  
Spike and Dawn flopped Xander down in a chair, just as Anya came rushing into the room, "What have you done to my sweet cookie-face?" she asked, bending down and poking him in the chest, "Xander! Xander, wake up!" she yelled.  
  
Xander groaned and opened his eyes, "What happened?" he asked.  
  
"That's a good question," Anya said, rounding on Dawn, "What have you done to him? There's a huge bump on his head!"  
  
Dawn shrugged, "I knocked him out with a stun gun and accidentally hit his head off the sidewalk.." she said.  
  
Anya gasped, "What if you caused brain damage?" she looked back at Xander.  
  
"No," Spike said, "You actually have to have a brain in order for it to get damaged," he turned around and walked towards the kitchen, "I'll be downstairs," he said.  
  
Dawn frowned at his back as he walked away.  
  
"Ice!" Willow yelled, running into the dining room, "Cold, soothing ice!"  
  
Xander reached out and took it from her, "Thanks, Will," he said, gently laying it on the bump towards the back of his head.  
  
Dawn looked past him, out the window, just in time to see Buffy turn onto their front walk. Her face fell into a glare, and she stormed over to stand in the entry way. She crossed her arms over her chest as she watched the doorknob turn.  
  
Buffy's eyes widened in surprise when she saw her, but before she could say anything, Dawn lifted her leg and kicked her in the shin.  
  
"Ow!"  
  
"Dumbass."  
  
Buffy whipped around to stare at Xander.  
  
" Don't look at me," he said, still holding the ice against his head, "This is a Summers' thing. It's all very violent."  
  
Buffy turned back to Dawn, "If you get killed, I'm telling," she said, before walking into the dining room.  
  
Dawn rolled her eyes, "I won't, don't worry," she said, following her.  
  
"Did you find out anything about the scythe?" Willow asked.  
  
Buffy shrugged, "It slices, dices, and makes julienne preacher."  
  
Giles looked surprised, "Caleb?"  
  
"I cut him in half."  
  
"All right!" Willow said.  
  
Anya nodded, "He had that coming."  
  
"Hey!" Xander said, "Party in my eye socket and everyone's invited!" they all stared at him.  
  
Dawn had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. It actually was funny when you weren't completely shocked that he said it.  
  
Xander, however, hung his head, "Sometimes I shouldn't say words."  
  
Buffy shook her head and looked back at Willow, "Hey, is Spike still in the.."  
  
Willow nodded, "He was gone for awhile. Then he came back and helped Dawn drag Xander into the house," she gestured towards Xander, "Then he went back to the basement, he looked kind of ticked off."  
  
Buffy sighed, "Great," she muttered, setting the scythe down and turning to go to the basement.  
  
Dawn waited, trying to decide what to do next. Finally, she raced after her before anyone could make her do otherwise, and quietly slipped down the basement stairs far enough so that she could hear the conversation going on.  
  
"He wears lifts, you know," Spike was saying.  
  
Buffy sighed, "You know, one of these days I'm just gonna put you 2 in a room and let you wrestle it out."  
  
Spike fiddled with an empty cigarette package, "No problem at this end," he said, giving up and throwing the package at the wall.  
  
"There could be oil of some kind involved!" Buffy said excited.  
  
"Where's the trinket?" Spike asked, walking up to her.  
  
"The who-ket?"  
  
"The pretty necklace your sweetie-bear gave you," Spike said, "The one with all the power. I believe it's mine now."  
  
"How do you figure?" Buffy asked.  
  
"Someone with a soul, but more than human? Angel meant to wear it, that means I'm the qualified party," he said, holding out his hand.  
  
"It's volatile. We don't know—"  
  
"You'll be needing someone strong to bear it, then. You planning on giving it to Andrew?" Spike asked sarcastically.  
  
Buffy looked down, and Dawn followed her gaze. The necklace sat in her hands, the light reflecting off of it and making it sparkle. Dawn fought the urge to run down the steps, grab it, and run away laughing triumphantly. Somehow, she didn't think that would work.  
  
"Angel said the amulet was meant to be worn by a champion," Buffy said.  
  
Spike looked down at the floor, disappointment filling his face. Then, Buffy walked forward and reached out to hand it to him.  
Spike took it from her, his face lighting up again, "Been called a lot of things in my time," he said.  
  
"Faith still has my room."  
  
"Well, you're not staying here!" Spike shook his head, "You can't buy me off with shiny beads and sweet talk. You got Angel breath. I'm not gonna just let you whack me back and forth like a rubber ball. I've got my pride, you know."  
  
Buffy turned back towards the stairs, "I understand."  
  
Spike hurried around and cut her off, "Clearly you don't, 'cause the whole "having my pride" thing was just a smokescreen."  
  
Buffy sighed in relief, "Oh, thank God."  
  
"I don't know what I would have done if you'd have gone up those stairs," Spike said.  
  
Bufy reached out to touch his face, and Dawn turned away, her throat catching in a mixture of anger and sadness.  
  
_'This isn't fair,'_ she thought, _'Why is life so goddamn painful?'_  
  
'It doesn't matter,' another voice in her head said, 'You can change it.'  
  
Dawn turned back around, watching them as they embraced.  
  
"I will change it."

* * *

Dawn lay in her bed, looking around at all the girls that lay on the floor around her room. She glanced over at th clock. It was almost two. Now or never.  
  
Dawn slowly climbed out of bed, wincing as she tripped over one of the girls. She froze, praying that she wouldn't wake up. Luckily, she just muttered something in her sleep and rolled over. Dawn sighed in relief and continued to make her way towards the door.  
  
She surprised herself by going quietly. She had slipped down the stairs and to the top of the basement steps without waking anybody. Which was quite a feet because there were people everywhere.  
  
She took a deep breath and climbed down the steps, careful not to wake Buffy or Spike up. She stared at them for a moment, lying on the cot asleep. Peaceful. You'd never know there was a war going on right now. They looked far too content.  
  
Dawn shook her head and turned away, looking around the room for the amulet. Then she saw it. Sitting on the table, sparkling away. She glared at it, and picked it up, cradling it in her hands and moving it back and forth, watching it catch the light. Then she stopped, realizing what she was doing, and looked away.  
  
'Now what the hell am I supposed to do?' she wondered.  
  
But her time to think was cut short when she heard Buffy stir on the cot. She gasped and looked around, trying to find somewhere to hide. The first spot she saw was the shadows under the steps. She hurried over and crouched down, just as she saw Buffy's eyes flutter open.  
  
Her eyes darted around for a moment, not sure of where she was. Buffy whipped her head round, and then saw Spike, and her expression softened and she calmed down. Her hand reached up to stroke his, and Dawn watched, trying to keep all the feelings from earlier from returning.  
  
Then, Spike rolled away, letting go of Buffy. She lay there for a moment, and then stood up, walking across the room to the window. Dawn watched her, until she saw a flicker of movement across the room. She looked over and had to cover her own mouth to keep from gasping when she saw Caleb walking towards Buffy.  
  
_'Wait...It can't be.'_  
  
"Pretty ain't it?" he said.  
  
"You're not him," Buffy said back.  
  
The First shook his current form's head, "No, you killed him right and proper. Terrible loss. This man was my good right arm," he turned to her, "'Course, it don't pain me too much. Don't need an arm. Got an army."  
  
Buffy rolled her eyes, "An army of vampires. However will I fight—"  
  
The First cut her off, "Every day our numbers swell. But then you do have an army of your own. Some thirty-odd pimply-faced girls, don't know the pointy end of a stake," he mocked fear, "Maybe I should call this off."  
  
Dawn seized the opportunity to attempt to slip up the stairs.  
  
"Have you ever considered a cool name?" Buffy asked, "I mean, since you're incorporeal and basically powerless. How about "The Taunter?" Strikes fear in the heart—"  
  
"I will overrun this Earth. And when my army outnumbers the humans on this Earth, the scales will tip and I will be made--" he stopped, his eyes darting around and resting on Dawn.  
  
She froze.  
_'Oh, I'm screwed. He saw me, he's gonna say something, and I'm screwed.'_  
  
But The First said nothing. Just watched her  
  
"Talk on," Buffy said, "I'm not afraid of you."  
  
The First suddenly grinned at Dawn, only he was no longer looking at her face. His eyes had come to rest on the amulet in her hands. Dawn tried to hide it behind her back, slowly beginning to climb the stairs.  
  
The First looked back up at her and gave her a wink before looking back at Buffy, "Oh you should be," he said as Dawn hurried up the stairs, "Because _nothing_ can help you now."

* * *

Dawn stood outside, looking down into the hole she'd just dug. Small enough that it wouldn't be noticed, but big enough for fit the damned necklace in. Dawn picked it up off the ground, holding it out in front of her and studying it again.  
  
The she dropped it into the hole, and used her hands to push the dirt back over it, never once looking at the thing. When she was done, she stared down at the pile of dirt, trying to figure out what would happen now.  
  
And then she felt the pain in her head. She grabbed her forehead, but didn't scream as everything flashed through her mind  
  
_She stood frozen, unable to move as she watched Xander fall to the ground, dead. The demons were everywhere. Overrunning the school. And Dawn couldn't move.  
__Then, Willow came running out of Principle Wood's office.  
__"Dawn!" she called when she spotted her, "Dawn! Run! Get out of the school, now!"  
__And then something hit the back of her head and everything went black.  
  
__Giles running to her side and picking her up, racing out of the building with Willow close behind.  
__Staring out the back window of the bus as they sped away from Sunnydale. The town collapsing  
__Willow crying.  
__Giles crying.  
__Faith crying.  
__"Dawn, Dawnie, please wake up," Willow's voice said, "Buffy's gone. Xander's gone. Kennedy's gone. Please, wake up."  
_  
Dawn's eyes snapped open, and she screamed.  
  
Two seconds later, her door burst open, and Willow came running into the room.  
  
"Dawn!" Willow rushed over to her and hugged her, "You're awake. Oh thank God, you're awake."  
  
Dawn tentatively hugged her back as Giles appeared in the doorway, "What's going on?"  
  
Willow turned to him, "Dawn woke up."  
  
Dawn looked at her confused, "What...what happened?" she asked.  
  
Willow's face fell, "Dawnie, lay back down. There's a lot I need to tell you."  
  
Dawn shook her head, "No. No, where's Buffy?"  
  
Willow pushed her back down as she fought the tears pooling in her eyes. She took a deep breath.  
  
"Buffy's dead, honey. And so is Xander, Spike, Anya, Andrew, and almost all the potentials. They were all killed."  
  
Dawn's mouth fell open, "What? No..no, that's not what was supposed to happen. The spell. Your spell. It didn't work?"  
  
Willow hung her head, "Not in time."  
  
Dawn felt tears behind her eyes and she looked around, "Where are we?" she asked quietly.  
  
"In hiding," Willow explained.  
  
"Hiding?"  
  
"From The First. He's everywhere now. And we're trying to figure out ways to defeat him," a tear streamed down her face, "But it's so hard with just us. And Faith left, and we don't know if she's even alive anymore."  
  
Dawn shook her head, "No. No. It can't...the book!"  
  
Willow frowned, "What book?"  
  
"Your book! The one with the picture of that temple on it. Where is it?"  
  
Willow shook her head, "Why?"  
  
"Because I need it," she said, "I need to make everything right again," she tried to sit up.  
  
Willow pushed her back down, "Dawn, calm down. I couldn't give you that book, even if I had it."  
  
Dawn froze, "Where is it?" she asked.  
  
"All my books went down with Sunnydale."

* * *

A/N - Sorry for the long delay! I've been busy. Anyway, I re-did my site. It actually looks half decent now. Links in my profile if you want it. There's more crap than there used to be too...so. If you're bored.  
Anyway, R&R! This stories almost over. Next couple chapters should be up by the end of next week!  
_  
seVen sIns_


	5. Undone

**Disclaimer** - You know the drill.

**Time Bomb** by **Seven Sins**

Chapter 5 - Undone

Posted: 8.28.04

* * *

Dawn's breathing stopped.  
  
"Dawnie, what's wrong?" Willow asked, tentatively taking her hand.  
  
Dawn forced herself to speak, "All of them? The one I asked for?"  
  
Willow looked back at Giles, confused.  
  
"Yes, all of our books have been destroyed, including the one you asked for," Giles said, stepping into the room, "Why?"  
  
Dawn shook her head, "They can't be gone!" she yelled, "It wasn't supposed to happen like this! Why is it like this?!" she was screaming now, and Willow and Giles were completely at a loss for what to say to her.  
  
"Dawn, what's wrong? What're you talking about?" Willow asked.  
  
Giles shook his head and tapped her on the shoulder. Willow turned to look at him and he gestured for them to leave the room. Willow didn't look like she wanted to, but turned to leave with one last curious glance at Dawn.  
  
"Rest, Dawn," Giles instructed, "I know this is a lot to take in, especially now, and I think it'd be best for you to just lie back down."  
  
He followed Willow out of the room, and pulled the door almost all the way shut behind him. There was still a small crack, and Dawn strained her ears, trying to hear their conversation.  
  
"Giles, what's wrong with her?" Willow asked.  
  
Dawn was sure that by this point, Giles had his glasses off, and was rubbing them frantically.  
  
"I believe that maybe she's in some sort of shock. Or denial. She could possibly have some type of head injury," he answered, "We have no idea what happened to knock her unconscious."  
  
Dawn could see a flash of red through the crack as Willow shook her head in disagreement, "That book. The one she's asking for, you know what's in it. Well, what was in it."  
  
"Yes, Willow, I know. But I don't believe that Dawn does. It's most likely some sort of injury that has her so worked up."  
  
"And you think it's just a coincidence that she's asking for _that_ particular book. What if..." Willow continued.  
  
"No," Giles said firmly, "Dawn doesn't even process enough magical energy to make a spell that powerful work. And we don't have time right now to be running around with false accusations coming from a delusional teen-aged girl."  
  
There was silence.  
  
"You're right," Willow said, "It's just, I don't know," she took a deep breath that sounded as if she was trying to hold back tears, "If she did, we could change things. Make things different."  
  
"I understand," Giles said, "I know it's difficult, for all of us. But eventually we're all going to have to accept that they're gone, and there's nothing we can do."  
  
Dawn saw Willow nod, and felt anger building inside her again.  
  
"Uh, guys," Dawn heard another voice say.  
  
"Yes Andrew?" Giles asked.  
  
"We have a problem. Another one."  
  
"What now?" Willow sounded exhausted.  
  
"They've found us."  
  
There was a loud crash from above, and Dawn looked up at the ceiling.  
  
"Damn," she heard Giles say, "Willow, get Dawn. We'll go out the back."  
  
The door to the room burst open again and Willow rushed in, "Dawn, honey you need to get up. We have to leave."  
  
"Why? What's going on?" Dawn said, not moving from where she sat.  
  
"The First," Willow rushed over and threw open a door to her right, grabbing the contents on a shelf inside and dropping them into a bag on the floor.  
  
"The First?" Dawn asked, "He's here? But.."  
  
"Listen," Willow turned back around to face her, "There isn't much time to explain. But the First, he's corporeal now, and he's after us."  
  
Dawn shook her head, "What?"  
  
"I'll explain everything to you when we're safe, now come on!" Willow grabbed her arm and pulled her from the bed. She pointed to a pair of sneakers sitting against the wall, and Dawn hurried to put them on. They ran out of the room, and Dawn followed Willow down a hall. They rounded a corner, and almost ran right into Giles and Andrew who were standing next to a large metal door with the word 'exit' written on it in big red letters.  
  
Not a word was said as the door was pushed open and Giles stepped out. He was the only one that got a chance the step out.  
  
He stopped dead, and Andrew ran into his back.  
  
"Going somewhere?"  
  
Dawn gasped.  
  
Buffy stood in front of Giles, her arms crossed over his chest, and a smirk spread across her face.  
  
Giles took a deep breath, "You're not Buffy," he said, "Don't think you can fool us."  
  
Buffy shook her head, "Oh, but I could fool Faith."  
  
The First switched forms, and then Faith stood before them. Dawn looked over at Willow, and saw a combination of anger, fear, and sorrow flash through her eyes.  
  
"Faith's dead?" Willow asked.  
  
"Faith's dead!" The First said gleefully, "And now you're gonna be dead too!"  
  
There was no time to react before an army of uber-vamps appeared behind her and rushed toward them. She heard Andrew scream and pull a cross out of his pocket, holding it up in front of him. One of the vampires grabbed his arm and twisted it until the cross fell to the ground with a clatter. Less than a second later, his neck was broken and his body fell to the ground next to it.  
  
Dawn's hand flew up to her mouth in shock, and she spun around to find Giles and Willow fighting as much as they could, but there was only so much they could do.  
  
But no one was coming after Dawn. She was confused. Why was no one trying to kill _her_?  
  
She spun around to face the First, who had returned to Buffy's form. She was smiling at her. A wide, sarcastic smile. Dawn couldn't remember hating anyone more.  
  
She heard Giles cry out, and turned around just in time to see him fall to the ground, a sword protruding from his chest. Willow was still fighting. Using magic now. Some sort of spell that was forming a shield around her, protecting her from the vamps.  
  
The First rolled Buffy's eyes and sighed, walking over to her, and right through the spell. Willow gasped and stared at her, confused.  
  
"That's a funny thing about magic," The First said, pulling the sword out of Giles, and looking over at Dawn, "It never quite works the way you expect."  
  
The sword impaled Willow's chest, right through her heart, and she stared down at it for a moment, before she too fell down to the ground, lifeless.  
  
Dawn screamed.  
  
The first looked annoyed, "Tie her up and get her quiet!" she ordered two of the vamps.  
  
They obeyed, and grabbed Dawn's arms, throwing her back against the wall. Dawn struggled, but it was no use. They had her tied in less than five minutes, and she had given up on screaming.  
  
Once they were done and moved out of the way, Dawn found herself face to face with Willow again. The First stood next to her dead body, and was still smiling the same, sarcastic smile. Dawn glared at her.  
  
"You know, I guess I should be thanking you," The First said, stepping over Willow's body, "If it weren't for you, who knows what could have happened down in that basement."  
  
Dawn struggled against the ropes, even though she knew it was no use.  
  
The First shook her head and sighed, "You're taking this a lot better than your sister did."  
  
And then she was staring at Buffy, who continued, "I made her watch them die too. All those girls? She got to see each and everyone one of them die slow, painful deaths."  
  
Dawn continued to glare at her, her eyes following as the First paced the alley. Tears were building behind her eyes, and she could felt a lump in her throat. But she wouldn't cry. She'd never give the First the satisfaction of seeing her cry.  
  
"It's a damned good thing you disposed of that necklace. Or amulet," she shrugged, "Whatever the hell it was called, it could have ruined _everything_ , if that vampire had worn it."  
  
She changed, Buffy's features melting into Spike's, "Who knows what could've happened."  
  
Dawn inhaled sharply, realization clouding her mind. This was her fault. They were all dead because of her. Willow had been right about the spell.  
  
But she could still change it, if she could just remember the counter-spell. But it had been a long, and in Latin. It was a lot to remember. But she could try.  
  
The First, however, continued to talk.  
  
"I made her watch him die too, you know," he lay a hand on his chest, "But he went last. After I killed all the rest. But I still dusted him. She stopped fighting then and gave up. I think watching him turn to dust had been enough for her to realize she wouldn't win. 'Course, that took all the fun out of killing her."  
  
The First turned to look at her, "Are you listening?"  
  
Dawn wasn't. She had her head dipped down and she was muttering what she could remember to herself, "Laxo quis ego have perfectus...goddamnit, how'd it go after that!?" she hissed.  
  
The First stared at her, "What are you doing?"  
  
Dawn ignored him and continued, "Alieno quis ego..." her head was snapped up by the First, and she was looking into the eyes of her mother.  
  
"You listen to me," she said, "You _cannot_ change it. No matter what you do. Stop what you're doing _now_ or..."  
  
"Or you'll what?" Dawn asked, "Once I finish this spell, there's nothing you can do to stop me."  
  
Joyce smiled, "You're not the only one who can play with time, you know. If the magic between you and the old one cross..." she trailed off.  
  
Dawn's rage was building, and before she could control herself, her legs snapped out from under her and hit the First in the middle, sending her staggering backwards.  
  
She almost fell, but caught herself.  
  
"That was rude, Dawnie," Joyce said, "And just think, I was considering keeping you alive," she smiled, "Not anymore though," she turned to the two vamps that had tied her up, "Kill her."  
  
They ran towards her, but never got a chance to touch her before she screamed.  
  
"Deleo is totus quod licentia is quam is eram!" she screamed, and everything shook around her.

* * *

Dawn was breathing heavy when she opened her eyes this time. But she wasn't where she should have been.  
  
She was still tied, but this time by her wrists. She was standing on top of an unstable platform and looking down into Glory's hell dimension.  
  
She screamed again.  
  
"Quiet!" she heard a voice yell behind her.  
  
Dawn craned her neck to try and see what stood behind her. It was a woman. But she looked strange. Her hair had blue streaks for it, and her lips were the same color, but lighter.  
  
"Please!" Dawn cried, tears streaming down her face, "Help me!"  
  
"Why should I help something as disgusting as you!" Illyria spat, "You're the mortal that has been altering time. Mortals should never alter time!" she was pacing now, staring down at everything below her.  
  
"Please! Can you help me?" Dawn asked again.  
  
Illyria stopped and stared at her, "The small part of humanity that was left in me from Winifred Burkle feels pity for you," she said, and then resumed her pacing.  
  
"_Please_," Dawn tried again, pulling at the ropes on her hands.  
  
Illyria turned to stare at her, cocking her head to the side.  
  
"Well isn't this interesting?"  
  
Joyce stood behind Illyria. Dawn gasped.  
  
Illyria spun around, "Who are you?" she demanded.  
  
Joyce smiled, "I'm the First. I don't believe we've met," she held out a hand.  
  
Illyria stared at it.  
  
The First drew her hand back and frowned, "Fine. Anyway, I'm in the middle of taking over the world, so I'll just get what I came for and be on my way," she pushed past her towards Dawn.  
  
She walked up to Dawn and began to untie the ropes on her wrist, "I told you, Dawn. Don't try to stop me. There's nothing you can do now."  
  
Dawn looked away from the ropes back to Illyria, "I'll do anything! Help me!" she pleaded, tears pouring out of her eyes.  
  
Illyria looked up at Dawn before stepping forward and grabbing the First's shoulder and spinning her around violently.  
  
The First looked shocked, and then pissed, "Don't touch me."  
  
"You will not speak to me in such ways," she said, "Your disrespect will be punished."  
  
The First blinked, "Whatever," she said, turning back to Dawn, "I'm busy."  
  
Illyria stared at her, anger filling her eyes as she glanced up at Dawn.  
  
"Please," Dawn mouthed.  
  
Illyria grabbed the First by the shoulder again, only this time, throwing her against the side of platform. The entire thing shook.  
  
The First stared at Illyria, "God," she sighed, "I don't have _time_ for this, you know!"  
  
"I suggest you attempt to make some," Illyria said, pulling her up by the collar of her shirt and throwing her down.  
  
The ropes on Dawn's wrists were untied, and she struggled to hold on as they fought. The First was fighting back, but she wasn't having very good luck against the ex-god. Illyria was pushing her closer and closer to the edge of the platform, and Dawn moved away towards the side. But she wasn't fast enough. The First was backed up as far as she could go towards the edge, and as Illyria reached out to push her off, she grabbed Dawn, and they both fell.  
  
Dawn screamed and grabbed onto the edge. The First had ahold of her ankle, and she could feel herself slipping.  
  
"Help!" she yelled up to Illyria, "Please!! Save me! Save everyone! Can you save us?" she was babbling now, rambling on and on out of hope.  
  
Illyria stared at her, confused about why she felt so sorry for this pathetic human being who was moments from death. But she did, and because of that, she chose to help her.  
  
And Illyria raised her hands and began work the power up inside of her, Dawn felt her fingers slowly slip off the edge, and she fell backward, screaming.  
  
She hit the ground hard, her head bouncing off of the ground beneath her. Everything was a blur, but she knew it wasn't right.  
  
She was in a white room, and the blue woman stood beside her, staring down at her.  
  
And the last thing she remembered before falling unconscious was a very familiar British voice saying, "Dawn?"

* * *

**A/N** - Uh...R&R! That's about all I have to say right now..hm. Ooh you should visit the site, too! clik.to/vintagenostalgia 


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